


The Bell Test

by isamagicdragon



Category: Black Panther (2018), Naruto
Genre: Bell Test, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 04:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20269999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isamagicdragon/pseuds/isamagicdragon
Summary: As exciting as it is to be placed in Sasuke Uchiha’s genin squad, Erik’s still not sure if it’s worth having to work with T’Challa.Or: The Bell Test, but with vibranium.





	The Bell Test

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quixotesque](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quixotesque/gifts).

If anyone is happy about their team assignment, it sure as hell doesn’t seem like it to Erik.

He’s on the Academy’s roof with T’Challa, W’Kabi, and their new sensei. He and T’Challa are studiously ignoring each other, while W’Kabi sits between them, obviously uneasy at being caught in the crossfire of T’Challa and Erik’s argument. Their sensei is leaning against the railing, looking extremely bored.

As exciting as it is to be placed in _ Sasuke Uchiha’s _ squad, Erik’s still not sure if it’s worth having to work with T’Challa. Things are still tense between them -- much to Erik’s chagrin, T’Challa had been chosen to become the next Black Panther over him, and Erik still maintains that the heart-shaped herb is the only reason he placed second to T’Challa’s first in the genin exams.

“Wow, you’re a friendly group,” Sasuke-sensei says wryly, after five minutes of awkward, silent staring. “So I guess I’ll have to start first. I’m Sasuke Uchiha. There’s a lot I don’t like, and some things I do like. I spar with people who are worth my time, and my dream for the future is to revive my clan. You --” he points a finger at T’Challa. “Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future.”

T’Challa gathers himself. “My name is T’Challa, son of T’Chaka,” he says primly. “I like science, and I dislike the _ silent treatment_.” He shoots Erik a sharp look. Erik just rolls his eyes, and glances away. “I like creating new things with my little sister Shuri. My goal is to become worthy of the mantle of the Black Panther, when my father steps down from his position.”

“Science, huh?” Sasuke-sensei smirks. “You --” he nods at W’Kabi. “Next.”

“W’Kabi. I like rhinos, and I don’t really dislike anything,” he says, shrugging. “I breed rhinos with my parents, and I want to be able to preserve my people’s techniques and customs. That’s about it.”

Their sensei’s gaze lingers on W’Kabi a bit, unreadable, before moving on to Erik. “And you?”

“N’Jadaka, son of N’Jobu. But it’s Erik to you. I like fairness, and I like justice, and I especially dislike cheating.” He glares at T’Challa and gets only a shrug in return. “I _ wanted _ to be the Black Panther, but that’s out of my hands now, apparently,” Erik says, scowling.

Sasuke-sensei’s eyes flick between him and T’Challa, but he makes no comment.

“You need to pass another exam before you can officially be added to the genin roster,” Sasuke-sensei says, straightening up. All three of them erupt into objections, but their sensei merely glares at them. “Meet me tomorrow at eight. Training ground four. Don’t be late, or there’s no way you’ll pass. The odds are low enough as it is -- only a third of the genin who take it pass. See you then.”

And their sensei immediately disappears in a swirl of leaves.

W’Kabi turns to Erik, mortified. “Another exam?!” 

“We'll just have to pass this one too,” T'Challa says determinedly.

Erik grins nastily at his cousin. “Herb or no herb, I’m beating you this time, T.”

T’Challa just sighs, and pointedly doesn’t comment. The clear brush-off infuriates Erik, but he pushes the anger down. He’ll show T’Challa. He’ll show the whole _ tribe _ who the best choice for Black Panther really is. 

~

The next day, all of them are at the training ground at eight in the morning, sharp.

Sasuke-sensei is waiting for them in the center, the clearing empty aside from the three stakes planted into the soil on one end.

“The goal of this exam,” Sasuke-sensei says, “is to steal a bell from me.” He holds up a pair of silver bells. “By noon, if you have a bell, you pass. If you don’t have a bell, you fail, and you go back into the Academy. Clear?” 

There are only two bells, though. Erik is sure he can take one, and T’Challa is annoying, but that bastard is skilled enough to take the other. There are only two bells, and if he and T’Challa take one each, that means -- 

“There are only two bells. There are three of us in this genin cell. Do you mean to say that only two of us will pass this test?” T’Challa demands. 

Sasuke-sensei shrugs. “If you fail to take them, you fail the mission. Konoha has no need for ninja who fail.”

Beside Erik, W’Kabi gulps audibly. 

“Understood?” 

All three of them nod. 

“Good.” Sasuke-sensei tosses the bells up and down. “And now, we can begin.” 

Erik immediately substitutes himself with a log, and retreats into the trees to observe. W’Kabi also disappears, but T’Challa stays put. 

“I don’t understand this system,” T’Challa says, moving to face Sasuke-sensei. “If there was going to be another genin test after we’ve been put into teams, why have the first genin exam anyway? Why give us the hitai-ate?” 

Sasuke-sensei shrugs again, but says nothing, does nothing. 

“And only two will pass the test?” T’Challa continues. “While all the genin cells I have seen working around Konoha are composed of three genin? I don’t believe you, Sasuke-sensei. I think you’re tricking us.” 

“Are you calling me a liar?” There’s a thread of impatience in Sasuke-sensei’s voice, and tension begins to blanket the area. Killing intent, Erik realizes, and T’Challa might not be his favorite person in the world, but Erik feels a thread of concern anyway.

Sasuke-sensei is one of the Sannin, after all, and if the rumors are true, he’s not exactly stable.

That doesn’t seem to matter to T’Challa, who stands his ground. “That depends. Are you lying?” 

Their sensei starts to laugh, and it sets Erik’s hair on end. “And why in the world would I tell you that?” 

T’Challa, that motherfucking _ crazy person_, shrugs, and breaks out into a run. He uses the momentum to set himself up for three spinning kicks -- the move that got Erik in their spar during the exams -- but Sasuke-sensei just steps back coolly, dodging T’Challa’s attacks. It’s stunning to see how easily Sasuke-sensei was sidestepping T’Challa’s hits, how little effort he needed to _ not be _in a place where T’Challa’s fists would be milliseconds later. 

So this is the skill of a Sannin. Erik is struck with awe and fear at the same time. 

T’Challa is getting visibly frustrated down below; his punches are getting both sloppier and nastier. Sasuke-sensei just keeps stepping back, until T’Challa’s backed him to the stakes, and, miraculously, lands a hit to their sensei’s chest. 

“Oh, look. You managed to hit me,” Sasuke-sensei says dryly. “Now it’s my turn.”

His hands fly into a blur of seals, and suddenly, a fireball is engulfing T’Challa. 

Erik’s jaw drops. Did their sensei just intentionally kill one of their teammates?

But no -- Sasuke-sensei looks alarmed at what he’s done. 

“Ah, shit. Did I really overestimate a genin’s dodging skills?” Sasuke-sensei sighs, and starts walking towards the center of the smoke. “Naruto’s not going to be happy -- argh!” 

T’Challa leaps from the smoke, completely covered in his vibranium Panther suit. He charges back at their sensei and, surprised, Sasuke-sensei is finally forced to block his attacks. 

“Nice -- trick,” Sasuke-sensei commends him, in between blocks. “I didn’t know that bratty genin could seal away armor now.” 

“Take -- me -- seriously!” T’Challa shouts, punctuating each word with another blow. 

Sasuke-sensei rears back. “If you fought any better, maybe I will,” he says, and then elbows T’Challa, sending him crashing towards the treeline at the opposite end of the clearing. T’Challa hits a tree, and falls to the ground, groaning. 

“Well, then. Any other challengers?” Sasuke-sensei calls out. 

Erik quietly retreats further into the forest. Sasuke-sensei is one of the most powerful ninja in their village. Erik is much more cunning than T’Challa -- if he takes the time to plan and prepare, there’s no way he’s coming out of this test without a bell. 

~

He sets up a trap by the pathway in the north east section of the training ground, and settles to wait. Erik finds a shadowy branch to perch on, his anticipation blanketed by the rustle of leaves and birdsong from the surrounding wildlife. 

Sasuke-sensei eventually comes his way, walking by leisurely with his hands stuffed in his pockets. 

Erik springs into action. 

“Yo, sensei!” he shouts, jumping down from his hiding spot. Sasuke-sensei barely flinches at Erik’s sudden entrance, barely even acknowledges his presence beyond looking up. “Gimme a bell!” Erik demands.

“Oh yes, of course, why ever would I keep one from you,” Sasuke-sensei replies sarcastically. “Get a grip, kid.”

“I’ll have to take one off your body, then!” Erik charges forward, kunai in hand, keeping the layout of his invisible wire set-up in mind. As he predicted, Sasuke-sensei keeps to the same tactics he’d used on T’Challa a while ago -- side-stepping Erik’s swings with as little effort as possible.

Perfect. 

Once Sasuke-sensei is right in the position Erik wants him, Erik grabs a shuriken from his holster, and throws it at the trigger he’d mounted to a tree earlier. It cuts clean through the ninja wire, sets off the net gun he’d installed, and Sasuke-sensei is caught in the middle of the net. 

Erik whoops. “Hah! I got you!” He scrambles over to his sensei, snatching the bells from Sasuke’s belt. “I didn’t think it would be this easy, sensei,” he cackles, tossing the bells up and down. “You fell for a trap a genin set up -- wait, what?” 

Horrified, Erik takes a step back. Sasuke-sensei’s body, trapped under the net, is slowly melting into a white, oozing substance, thick with the cloying scent of vanilla.

What the hell? A body is oozing into marshmallow fluff? Erik looks around wildly, taking stock of his surroundings. Trees, check. Sun, check. Birds -- there’s no bird song. Why are there no birds chirping? This must be -- 

“A genjutsu, yes,” a smooth voice interrupts from behind him. 

Erik whirls around. 

Sasuke sensei is leaning next to a tree, staring at him intensely. The black of his irises have been replaced with red -- Erik is looking right at the last pair of Sharingan in Konoha, and if he weren’t crippled with panic, he would’ve been fascinated. As it is, he has a body oozing into a puddle of marshmallow fluff right behind him, and he’s currently trapped in a former missing-nin’s genjutsu, so fancy eyes aren’t super high on his priority list right now. 

_ Okay_, he thinks. _ Focus. Dispel the genjutsu_. 

He brings his hands up into the ram seal. “Kai!” 

Nothing happens. 

“Unfortunately for you, I have a special talent for genjutsu.” Sasuke-sensei straightens up, and starts walking to him, smiling that creepy smile again. Erik shivers. “Even the weakest genjutsu I know can’t be dispelled alone. You’ll be trapped in this illusion until I decide to let you go.” 

Then he disappears. Erik whirls around again, and there Sasuke-sensei is, standing next to the not-Sasuke-sensei that’s still halfway through dissolving into marshmallow. “Normally,” he continues, “the imagery I use is more… horrific. But you’re a kid, so,” he shrugs, and toes at the marshmallow fluff. It coats his sandal, and both of them watch the fluff stick with morbid curiosity.

“Anyway --” Sasuke-sensei says, and Erik’s head snaps back up, berating himself for getting distracted, “--you’re trapped here now. Goodbye.” 

With that, Sasuke-sensei disperses into a cloud of ravens. 

~

Time passes, and the genjutsu gets worse. 

Erik tries everything -- dispelling the genjutsu, disrupting his chakra flow, even hurting himself in the hopes the pain would snap him out of the illusion -- but nothing works. In fact, each attempt seems to make something else in his surroundings melt into liquid candy and congeal into a sticky, gross puddle around the marshmallow fluff that used to be not-Sasuke-sensei. The green from the trees mixes with the mud underfoot, turning everything into a disgusting, discolored candy pool. 

In desperation, Erik grabs one of his kunai and pierces the skin on his thumb. The bushes next to him start melting down into ooze, and he howls in frustration and pain. 

“Hey, man, steady. Steady,” he hears from behind him. He whirls around, but there’s no one there.

The voice, however, remains loud and clear.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s trapped in a genjutsu,” says a second voice. “A powerful one, at that -- Erik has never had problems with dispelling genjutsu before.” 

The first voice groans. “Sasuke-sensei put him under a genjutsu? Can we break him out?” 

“Hey!” Erik yells. “Can you hear me?”

“Hiis chakra is all over the place; this isn’t good.” 

“Can you do something about it?” 

“Can I -- can I do something about it? I can’t believe you, T’Challa. Can I do something about a genjutsu -- of _ course _ I can do something about a genjutsu, it’s like you’ve never heard of the Border Tribe --” 

Border Tribe. W’Kabi. Good at genjutsu. 

“Hey! W’Kabi!” Erik shouts at the empty space in front of him. “Get me out of this thing!” 

“Hold on, let me just --” 

Erik sits up, flailing wildly, covered in cold sweat. W’Kabi hastily pulls away from him, palm still glowing blue from his jutsu. 

“Woah. Relax, man,” W’Kabi reassures him. “It’s us; you’re fine now.” 

It takes Erik some time to readjust to his surroundings -- real trees, solid ground, no melted candy fluff. He heaves air into his lungs, relieved at the fresh pine scent. 

“Come, let’s look for somewhere else to regroup. Sensei must be watching for us in this area,” T’Challa hisses. 

Erik and W’Kabi scramble to their feet, and they follow T’Challa up into the trees. T’Challa makes three clones, has them mimic their team, and sends them off to the central clearing; it’s not going to make much of a difference with their sensei, of course, since Sasuke Uchiha just demonstrated on Erik that his reputation as a genjutsu master is well-earned. But it’s the thought that counts, Erik supposes.

They stop in a particularly dense patch of trees, and T’Challa nods at W’Kabi. W’Kabi goes through a series of Wakandan hand signs, and suddenly, a shimmering blue dome surrounds them. 

“There,” W’Kabi says, huffing with effort. “This should keep sensei out for a while, but I’m sure he’ll notice it soon enough.”

“We don’t need that much time.” T’Challa settles onto a branch, gesturing for the others to do the same. “You were out of it for a while, Erik. It’s past eleven in the morning; we have less than an hour to retrieve those bells.”

Erik doesn’t appreciate the reminder and groans. “I had them in my hands! I thought it was so real!” 

“It’s impossible to beat Sasuke-sensei.” W’Kabi sits down on the branch, dejected. “I summoned Imani -- Imani! My beloved pet! -- and he defeated her and sent her back to the spirit plane in less than a minute!”

T’Challa shakes his head. “We don’t need to defeat him! We just need to get the bells.” 

“_ I _ need to get the bells, you mean,” Erik says nastily. “There’s no _ we _ here, I ain’t losing out on this test to you again. There are only two bells, and _ like fuck _ am I going to be the one who’s not graduating --”

“Not this again, we don’t have time for your bitterness _ now_, Erik, we have a --” 

“-- just because Uncle chose _ you _ to be the next Black Panther and decided you were somehow more worthy of the heart-shaped herb than me doesn’t mean that I have to _ trust you _\--” 

“Enough!” W’Kabi shouts. Erik and T’Challa both shut up. “Leave your fighting for home! We have a problem here -- no one wants to go back to the Academy. We have to think up a solution now!” 

“As I was saying,” T’Challa says, glaring at Erik, “we just need to get the bells. Sasuke-sensei literally said ‘if you have a bell by noon, you pass. If not, you fail.’ Right?” 

W’Kabi nods. “But there are only two bells. How are we all going to pass?” 

Erik’s mind, however, is already racing along T’Challa’s. “He only said we had to steal the two bells from him, and that we all had to have bells by noon. He didn’t specify that the bells had to be the ones he was bringing!” 

T’Challa beams at him, but Erik just looks away in annoyance. “Exactly!” He plucks a tooth from his panther necklace, and it dissolves into sand, then reforms as a bell in his hand. “We steal the two bells, I make a third. Then we all have bells, and we all pass!”

“Are you sure you can make an identical copy?” W’Kabi demands. “We didn’t even see them up close, T’Challa, there’s no way sensei is falling for this!” 

“The extra bell will be a _ real _bell, not a genjutsu, so unless he’s tagged them in some way, Sasuke-sensei will have no way to tell.” Erik sits back and thinks. “But we still gotta steal both bells off of him. How much time do you need to make a perfect copy, T?” 

“Not long; I just need to touch it. If the three of us team up, we have a chance of taking those bells off him.” T’Challa looks at Erik and W’Kabi earnestly. “I have a plan, but I need both of you to trust me. Can you trust me?” 

Erik hesitates. 

~

“Hey! Sasuke-sensei!” 

Sasuke-sensei looks up from his seat by the stumps. “Erik-kun. It’s nearly noon, and both bells are still with me.” He gives Erik another one of his condescending little shrugs. “I guess no one’s becoming a genin today, then.” 

“I still got twenty minutes to get them bells, sensei!” Erik yells, jumping into the clearing. He lets the vibranium from his Jaguar necklace dissolve into black sand, and it reforms around his body into his Jaguar armor. He settles into the suit, says a quick prayer to Bast that his helmet keeps Sasuke-sensei’s genjutsu away from his eyes, and then, he charges.

This time, Erik has Sasuke-sensei’s full attention. The Sharingan swirls into life as Sasuke dodges Erik’s claws, and now, Sasuke-sensei’s dodges are quick, sharp, and focused. Nowhere near the nonchalant, almost lazy defense from that morning.

Erik growls, and lunges, claws aimed at Sasuke-sensei’s eyes. His teacher’s eyes widen in alarm, and finally, _ finally,_ Sasuke blocks Erik’s arm, and yanks. 

Erik is on his back, tumbling across the clearing, in less than a second. He grits his teeth and gets to his feet, panting. 

“Interesting armor; the helmet is a nice touch. No match for most of my genjutsu, but it did manage to block the one I just tried. Good effort.” Sasuke shakes out his robe, then settles into a stance. “But if you don’t come at me with intent to kill, you’ll be wasting your twenty minutes.” 

“It’s like that, huh?” Well, Erik could damn well oblige. He flicks his wrists outward, and his short sword and spear materialize in his hands. The vibranium seems to hold up well to his chakra.

Sasuke-sensei looks suitably impressed. 

“Is that the same technique your cousin used this morning?” he asks, curious. 

“None of your damn business!” Erik snaps, and charges. He goes for the neck -- Sasuke-sensei _did _tell him to aim to kill -- but Sasuke-sensei jumps back, hands a blur again as he prepares another jutsu. 

“Suiton: Water Wall!” 

The blast of water forces Erik back, braced behind his weapons, but he just grins to himself. “Good one, but now it’s my turn!” 

Focusing on the lightning chakra flickering beneath his skin, Erik channels it into his blades. The lightning travels through the wave of water and forces Sasuke-sensei to hastily cut off his water jutsu. He makes to jump for cover into the trees, only to hit an invisible barrier, and inwardly, Erik crows with glee. 

“Ha! Caught in a trap now, huh, sensei?” 

Sasuke-sensei doesn’t bother replying; instead, his hands fly through another set of seals. A dome of solid rock engulfs him, grounding Erik’s lightning. Erik swears; he thought the lightning would be a sure thing, but it seems he’s wasted his chakra. 

On the other end of the clearing, though, there’s a tiny flash of purple light, gone in a blink of an eye. Perfectly timed at the exact moment Sasuke-sensei would have absolutely no visuals of the clearing. Damn, T’Challa got lucky. 

Erik drops into a defensive stance as soon as Sasuke-sensei steps out from the dome. T’Challa quietly melts back into the shadows, no doubt waiting for W’Kabi’s signal that Sasuke-sensei was in place. 

“A Wakandan containment jutsu. How interesting,” Sasuke-sensei says mildly. “I didn’t think you’d be smart enough to team up with the others, but I guess I deserve a surprise today.” 

Erik’s face twitches. “What do you mean, the others --”

But Sasuke isn’t listening to Erik anymore. He’s surveying the clearing with the Sharingan and then, like a hawk, he focuses in on the exact spot where W’Kabi is hidden behind his cloak. The same spot where T’Challa was planting several kimoyo beads of vibranium, just a few seconds earlier. 

Sasuke-sensei changes track and starts walking towards W’Kabi. 

Behind his sensei’s back, Erik smirks. He had doubts about T’Challa’s plan, but it’s actually working. How about that?

“How long can you keep this containment jutsu up, I wonder?” Sasuke-sensei asks in W’Kabi’s general direction. As planned, W’Kabi lets his cloak disengage enough to shimmer a bit, and Sasuke-sensei predictably draws his sword, pouncing. 

In just a few quick minutes, their plan comes to fruition. 

Sasuke-sensei attempts to cut through W’Kabi’s shields, but they held, because _ nothing _ gets past the Border Tribes shields, and Sasuke-sensei spends just enough time and just enough focus on trying to get through to W’Kabi that he doesn’t notice the black sand collecting near his hip from the vibranium beads T’Challa had hidden in the grass.

“If I pack the bells with sand before I cut them off the string, they shouldn’t make a sound as they fall,” T’Challa had explained earlier and Erik watches as T’Challa re-forms the rest of the vibranium into a razor, all the way from the trees he’s hiding in, and slices through the strings. The bells fall. T’Challa uses his control over the vibranium inside to discreetly drag the bells away from Sasuke-sensei.

Begrudgingly, Erik admits that If there’s one area T’Challa is miles ahead of him, it’s in vibranium-based jutsu. Erik can’t even control vibranium that’s not in contact with his skin -- Dad always said Erik lacked focus, before he -- before. 

_ Maybe that’s why_, he thinks sourly. That’s why T’Challa got chosen to be Black Panther instead of him. But whatever. Erik tamps down on the bitterness, grabs the bells, and immediately substitutes himself with a log, making his way over to T’Challa’s hiding place.

“The bells?” T’Challa asks expectantly.

Erik drops them into T’Challa’s waiting palm. The vibranium streams out of the bells, and reforms into a perfect replica at T’Challa’s bidding. 

“Hell yeah,” Erik mutters, heart thumping. “We’re going to be genin today.” 

T’Challa smiles, triumphant. “I told you that you should trust me.” 

No way Erik is going to actually agree, no matter how well their plan worked out, so he just rolls his eyes. “Whatever, man. Let’s go bail W’Kabi out.” 

~

“Hey, sensei!” Erik yells out again. 

W’Kabi is still sparring with Sasuke-sensei; his sword is out, but the dome is gone. Another blow from Sasuke-sensei sends W’Kabi tumbling back, and Erik and T’Challa immediately run over to their teammate’s side. 

“You have it?” W’Kabi asks in between heaving gulps of air. 

T’Challa nods, pressing one into W’Kabi’s hand, and W’Kabi breaks out into a grin. They all do, unable to help it. 

“As much as I’d like to commend you guys on _ finally _ working together as a team,” Sasuke-sensei drawls, “I’d like to remind you that it’s nearly noon.” He checks his watch. “Five minutes till noon, actually. And all of you still have no --”

As one, they turn towards Sasuke, palms open. A bell glints in each of their hands. 

Erik deeply enjoys the shock that crosses their sensei’s face. Sasuke-sensei immediately pats his hip -- but of course, there are no bells there. 

“So, lunch is on you?” Erik asks, cocky. “Y’know, to celebrate our _ pass_?” 

Sasuke-sensei smiles, looking reluctantly impressed. “Congratulations. Team 1 will report for their first round of genin missions tomorrow at eight.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this draft for over a year, and I haven't been in the Black Panther fandom for a minute. But I was going through my old files, saw this, and immediately felt guilty because [quix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quixotesque/pseuds/quixotesque) had put in so much work to help me get this up to snuff. So here it is -- I've cleaned it up and decided to publish. We haven't talked in a while, but thank you so much for your help, quix!


End file.
